The Blog Page for Northwest Arkansas Atheists

Morning Meditations #69: Hitchens Day

Richard Dawkins calls The Origin of Species “a masterpiece.” I tend to agree. While I do believe that every person is in some way special, I ask “are there such things as masterpieces of humanity?” If there are, I propose that as a writer, and one of the finest mammalsto have graced planet Earth, Christopher Hitchens fits into an exact mold of masterpiece. Not because I harbor some notion of perfection, but rather because of Hitchens many flaws. His addictions and pension for offending others, just to name a few, that run through his now celebrated life. This notion of flaws contributing to, possibly ultimately responsible for, so much beauty in the form of literature is one of the hundreds of things to admire about the late Christopher Hitchens and also what the entire MM series all about.

That isn’t entirely true of course. The MM series is about therapy and meditation, goals and successes, health and healing but for today, it is the day to celebrate that particular trait of my artistic, healing, and creative process which I can describe my flaws and shortcomings to my peers is the writing itself.

My first short story came long before my college career, when I still managed retail businesses. I called it “The Family Haruspex.” A tale of a Scottish noble woman from the sixteenth century who falls off her horse and has a vision. A vision of Mikey and I at Penguin Ed’s having a heated exchange about the state of Tool’s music. We are blown to smithereens by a faulty gas line. The story flashes back to the past where a woman with the family name of Paxton comes to, having just seen the end of her family line. I enjoyed the process then. I still do. Alas, that piece is lost forever. I haven’t seen it in years so I assume there are no copies floating around.

Now I write fictions and memoirs, articles and essays, and the occasional editorializing on something or other of which I’ve become impassioned, although I try to keep my “Rance and raves” to a minimum.

I’ve in no way had the time to become ensconced in my writing style or habits. The words I find everyday to write are found through discovery. This take on how to write is a philosophy I learned from Dr. Michael Heffernan who often told this exact parable in different words, “Writing is a process of discovery.” I feel this more and more as I come to understand myself through my writing. Or more precisely through the rereading of my writing, which is often difficult because of inaccuracy or held beliefs which have been shown false. Not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity for playback, never miss an opportunity for playback, but the heat of an embarrassing moment is still felt. Gotta let ’em go.

Which is what I had to do earlier. The excitement for the day and how much I will get to write and publish still has me filled with energy. I cannot wait to finish this to move on to the next. So, there have already been a few small but effective yoga and meditation breaks. There will be another before attempting to publish the next peice, which I imagine will be fiction. Followed by the new quotes revealed which for those who like teasers has a softer tone, well, less aggressive, or maybe—I don’t know. You’ll have to let me know if there is something different about it. Let’s just say that I feel different about this one than I have the first three.

In other news I am making a chilli tonight, making the sauce from scratch for the first time officially, although I am fairly certain I know what I am doing. *giggle* Going to be rum and fire pit in the evening while I try to keep cranking out worthy contributions to literature at large. Happy Hitchens Day!